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Mage Wasp

Despite their massive size and fearsome stinger, mage wasps pose little threat to the vast majority of the population of Eletreus. Indeed, they will rarely sting unless severely provoked and their bright coloration and the rainbow pattern they trail behind them makes them ethereal and wondrous to behold.

But they are, to mages, a complete abomination and anathema.

While usually they do not venture far from their large nests set in the side of mountains and clifftops, any magical activity that occurs within 10 miles immediately causes them to start to make a bee line directly towards the source. And once the ‘offending’ mage is spotted, their usually loud humming sound becomes almost deafening and they dive bomb and move erratically at incredibly high speeds to deliver their sting to exposed flesh.

But it gets worse for magicians. For they are completely immune to both direct and non-direct magical effects. Magical winds will not slow them, nor will magical barriers touch them – and any spells cast at them only make them faster and more determined to sting.

For once stung, they steal the mages mana, and one so stung cannot cast spells for an hour per sting..

The mages only hope is mundane means – to catch them or strike them from the sky before they sting, which is no easy task as they change direction suddenly and can tangle in hair and clothing with their small, disturbingly human hands.

If a mage has not cast a spell for 24 hours, they are ignored by these creatures. Furthermore, while immune to effects of magic scrolls, swords and other items, and the use of such will attract them to investigate. if they cannot find a living creature who has cast a spell within 24 hours, they will buzz around for a while and then buzz off.

While the sting itself is very painful, and causes localized swelling, it is rare to have any further effects, though some individuals who are stung often or are naturally prone to allergies may have a fatal bad reaction.

For this reason, especially as the largest concentrations are found near the roads to and from the sorcerer city of Notarikon, the council of mages offers a considerable bounty on them – but they are not completely without use to mages For the honey that they produce to feed their offspring stores the magical powers they steal – and if ingested – doubles the maximum speed of flying spells and triples the maximum weight loads that can be lifted with levitation and telekinesis. and it too is highly sought after.